Fitted sheet



Dec. 17, 1963 J. L. COBB FITTED SHEET Filed May 1, 1962 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. JAMES L COBB BY 71% M JZZ 4E M A TTORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,114,156 FITTED SHEET James L. Cobb, Clemson, S.C., assignor to J. P. Stevens & Co., Inc, New York, N.Y., a corperation of Delaware Filed May 1, 1962, Ser. No. 191,464 2 Claims. (Cl. -334) The invention is related to bed sheets and more particularly to bed sheets known as fitted sheets which are adapted to partially enclose a mattress and to be held neatly in position on the mattress.

In order to apply and remove fitted sheets from a mattress, it is usually necessary to fold or distort the mattress considerably, particularly at the corners, which requires a considerable amount of eiiort and labor. Moreover, there is a tendency for the sheet to rip due to the great amount of strain caused by fitting the sheet over and removing it from the corners of the mattress.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved fitted sheet that can be fitted onto and removed from a mattress with a minimum amount of effort.

A further object is to provide an improved fitted sheet that can quickly and easily be fitted onto and removed from a mattress without excessively folding or distorting the mattress.

Still another object is to provide an improved fitted sheet having greater resistance to tearing after repeated use than presently available fitted sheets.

The foregoing and other objects are achieved by the provision of a fitted sheet having top, side and end panels for covering the top, sides and ends, respectively of a mattress to which the sheet is to be applied. Extending from each of the side and end panels is a retaining flap which may be tucked underneath the mattress to cooperate with the bottom surface of the mattress and maintain the sheet in proper orientation with respect to the mattress. In order to facilitate placing the sheet onto and removing it from a mattress, the adjacent ends of the retaining flaps diverge outwardly from the lower edge of each of the corners defined by the side and end panels, and are connected by an elastic, triangular gusset. Each of the triangular gussets is disposed with its apex terminating at the lower edge of the corner and its base disposed transversely of the diverging ends of the retaining flaps, and are constructed with elastic threads disposed in the direction parallel to the base so that the greater amount of elasticity is provided in a direction transverse to the oppositely disposed ends of the retaining flaps. As a result, the sheet can be applied and removed from a mattress without folding or distorting the mattress, and because the elastic gusset takes the strain, the possibility of ripping or tearing is reduced substantially. While on the mattress, the gussets and retaining flaps resiliently retain the sheet properly oriented on the mattress to present a smooth, neat appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

'FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the sheet embodying the invention is made;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet fitted over a mattress;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detailed view;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a detailed view similar to FIG. 3 taken from the opposite side of the sheet, with the sheet removed from the mattress.

FIG. 2 illustrates a mattress fitted with a fitted sheet 12 embodying the invention. Sheet 12 is provided with top, side and end panels 14, 16 and 18, respectively, which overlie the top, sides and ends of the mattress. Corners 2 20 are formed by connecting the adjacent ends of side and end panels 16 and 18 so that when the sheet is placed on a mattress, the sides and end panels extend vertically from the edges of the top panel 14 and cover the sides and ends, respectively, of the mattress.

Extending from the lower edge of the side and end panels are side and end retaining flaps 22 and 24, respectively, which extend underneath the mattress and lie flat against the mattress bottom when the sheet is placed on the mattress. Retaining flaps 22 and 24-have free edges 26 and 28, respectively, which are of a length less than the respective side and end panels from which the retainin-g flaps extend. Therefore, when the sheet is positioned on mattress it), ends 30 and 32 of retaining flaps 22 and 24, respectively, are inclined inwardly from the lower edge of corners 20 toward the free edges 26 and 28, and

each adjacent pair of opposed ends 30 and 32 diverge outwardly from the lower edge of corners 20.

In order to resiliently maintain the sheet in proper orientation when placed on a mattress, each adjacent pair of ends 30 and 32 are connected by an elastic, triangular gusset 34 which is disposed with its apex 36 (FIG. 3) terminating at the lower edge of corner 20 and its base 38 disposed transversely of ends 30 and 32 to diagonally connect the adjacent corners. G-ussets 36 are constructed with elastic threads which extend in a direction parallel to base 38 as indicated by arrows 40 (FIG. 5) so that a greater degree of elasticity is provided in a direction parallel to the base and transverse to ends 30 and 32 than in a direction transverse to the base as indicated by arrows 42. As a result, the direction of greater elasticity of the gusset is in the direction of greatest strain, that is, the direction transverse to the adjacent or opposed ends 3%) and 32 of the retaining flaps and there is therefore little or no tendency to tear the sheet at the corners as it is applied or removed from a mattress.

Furthermore, the elasticity of gusset 36 in the transverse direction With respect to the opposed ends 30 and 32 of retaining flaps 22 and 24, permits one to fit the sheet onto and remove it from a mattress without folding or distorting the mattress due to the fact that retaining flaps 22 and 24 can be resiliently displaced from the mattress bottom. In removing the sheet from a mattress, gussets 36 permit retaining flaps 22 and 24 to be completely pulled from beneath the mattress after which the sheet can be easily removed by slipping corners 2t olf of the mattress without any interference of the retaining flaps. Conversely, to apply the sheet to a mattress, gussets 36 will easily slip over the mattress corners, after which it is merely necessary to tuck flaps 22 and 24- underneath the mattress.

Sheet -10 may be constructed from the blank illustrated in FIG. 1. The blank is cut from a rectangular piece of sheet material which may be provided with selvedges along edges 26. Side and end panels 16 and 18, and side and end retaining flaps 22 and 24, respectively, are formed by cutting away the corners of the rectangular piece to term ends for the panels and retaining flaps having slightly curved edge portions 44 extending from edges 26 and 28, and terminating in a straight edge portion 46 which extends to the corner of top panel 14. Curved edge portions 44 extend over a portion of the ends of the side and end panels. When the adjacent ends of the side and end panels are joined together by a binding strip 48 ('FIG. 5) to form corners 20, the corners are slightly bowed outwardly, and will accommodate distortion of the mattress corners.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the adjacent edges of side and end panels 22 and 24- are turned inwardly, and a strip 48 of binding material is folded upon itself with its overlapping edges enclosing the superposed edges of panels 22 and 24, and the parts are joined together by stitching to form corners 20. Edge portion 44 which 3 extends from the lower end of corners 20 are folded inwardly to define the inclined ends 38' and 32 of the retaining flaps. Gusset 34 is positioned with its side edges overlying the folded over edges 44, and binding strips 48 and 5t enclose the overlapped edges and the portions are stitched together in a conventional manner. strip 48 extends across the full length of the free edge of end retaining flaps 24 to prevent ravelling. Ravelling of edges 26 is prevented by the selvedge which may be formed on the material from which the blank is out.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that the invention is not confined to the precise construction illustrated and various modifications can be made Without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A fitted sheet comprising; top, side and end panels for covering the top, sides and ends, respectively, of a mattress with the adjacent ends of the side and end panels connected together to form vertical corners extending from the top to the bottom of the mattress corners to which the sheet is applied, retaining flaps extending from the edges of the side and end panels remote from the top panel to project underneath and lie flat against the bottom surface of the mattress. the ends of the retaining flaps being inclined inwardly Binding from the lower ends of said corners with each adjacent pair of the ends of the retaining flaps diverging from the lower ends of its associated corner, binding strips overlapping said ends of said retaining flaps, and a triangular elastic gusset disposed between each adjacent pair of the diverging ends with the apex of each gusset terminating at the lower end of the associated corner and the base thereof extending transversely of the diverging ends,

the side edges of the gusset being received between the ends of the retaining flaps and binding strips, a said binding strips, retaining flap ends, and side edges of the triangular gusset being stitched together to resiliently secure-the adjacent diverging ends of the retaining flaps together. 2. A fitted sheet as defined in claim 1 in which, the elastic triagular gusset is resilientiy extensible in a direction parallel to its base to a greater degree than a direction transverse to the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,162,755 Shauer June 20, 1939 2,637,049 Kromer et al May 5, 1953 2,695,414 Ford et al. Nov. 30, 1954 2,942,280 May June 28, 1960 

1. A FITTED SHEET COMPRISING; TOP, SIDE AND END PANELS FOR COVERING THE TOP, SIDES AND ENDS, RESPECTIVELY, OF A MATTRESS WITH THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE SIDE AND END PANELS CONNECTED TOGETHER TO FORM VERTICAL CORNERS EXTENDING FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MATTRESS CORNERS TO WHICH THE SHEET IS APPLIED, RETAINING FLAPS EXTENDING FROM THE EDGES OF THE SIDE AND END PANELS REMOTE FROM THE TOP PANEL TO PROJECT UNDERNEATH AND LIE FLAT AGAINST THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF THE MATTRESS. THE ENDS OF THE RETAINING FLAPS BEING INCLINED INWARDLY FROM THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID CORNERS WITH EACH ADJACENT PAIR OF THE ENDS OF THE RETAINING FLAPS DIVERGING FROM THE LOWER ENDS OF ITS ASSOCIATED CORNER, BINDING STRIPS OVERLAPPING SAID ENDS OF SAID RETAINING FLAPS, AND A TRIANGULAR ELASTIC GUSSET DISPOSED BETWEEN EACH ADJACENT PAIR OF THE DIVERGING ENDS WITH THE APEX OF EACH GUSSET TERMINATING AT THE LOWER END OF THE ASSOCIATED CORNER AND THE BASE THEREOF EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE DIVERGING ENDS, THE SIDE EDGES OF THE GUSSET BEING RECEIVED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE RETAINING FLAPS AND BINDING STRIPS, SAID BINDING STRIPS, RETAINING FLAP ENDS, AND SIDE EDGES OF THE TRIANGULAR GUSSET BEING STITCHED TOGETHER TO RESILIENTLY SECURE THE ADJACENT DIVERGING ENDS OF THE RETAINING FLAPS TOGETHER. 